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R Public Safety Committee Minutes/August 19 , 1987 Page 2 with vicious dogs and American Pit Bull Terriers. She stated that there are several national statistics which should be high- lighted , namely : - 21 of 29 dog bite deaths in 1983 were caused by pit bull terriers 7 of 11 dog bite deaths in 1986 were caused by pit bull terriers - all five (5) dog bite deaths this year were caused by American Pit Bull Terriers She stated that there is ample evidence for the City of South Bend to reasonably regulate for the protection of its citizens and their public health, safety and welfare. She stated that the City must impose reasonable regulations which delicately balance the rights of those persons who wish to own dogs and those who do not. In specific reviewed cases dealing with vicious dogs and American Pit Bull Terriers , there are some common threads throughout . - Those laws which have been struck down have been held to violate specific state laws. - Those which have been struck down have had excessive criminal penalties within them. - Those which have been struck down have banned ownership entirely. - Those which have been struck down have been found to be constitutionally vague. She noted that in particular , some of the cases at the district court level have held that such ordinances do not violate the equal protection or due process clause of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. She further indicated that a well known U.S. Supreme Court opinion handed down in 1938 has been referenced , which opinion held "that once the legislature has drawn a classification , neither the finding of a court arrived at by weighing the evidence, nor the verdict of the jury can be substituted for it." She then briefly highlighted some of the information from the Humane Society of the United States. In their July 1979 publication, they stated "the pit bull terrier is